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About

Martin O. Culjat is a pioneering biomedical engineer whose research sits at the intersection of robotic surgery, haptic feedback systems, and medical imaging. He is best known for his transformative work addressing one of robot-assisted surgery's most significant limitations: the absence of tactile and haptic feedback during tissue manipulation. Through the development of pneumatic balloon actuator arrays, piezoresistive force sensors, and multi-element tactile display systems, Culjat created complete feedback architectures that restore sensory information to surgeons operating robotic platforms like the da Vinci Surgical System — work that has collectively garnered over 700 citations. His most cited contribution (218 citations) demonstrated that tactile feedback measurably reduces grasping force in robot-assisted procedures, with direct implications for patient safety. Culjat also advanced the frontiers of robotic microsurgery, establishing the feasibility of intraocular procedures including vitrectomy and corneal transplantation using robotic platforms. His review of robotic ultrasound systems (146 citations) further cemented his influence across medical robotics broadly. For students and researchers in surgical robotics, biomedical instrumentation, or human-machine interfaces, Culjat's body of work represents a foundational and highly practical contribution to making robotic surgery safer and more intuitive.